July 2016 Truck Sales – Weathering the Storm

Big Gains for Midsizers, Detroit Three Down

Some industry analysts are predicting storm clouds ahead for the auto industry. Sales for passenger car models and brands dropped throughout the industry, for some significantly. By and large, trucks have weathered the storm, although there are some modest declines this month for the major models.

However, it’s mostly sunny skies for the midsize segment, with the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, Nissan Frontier, and newly reintroduced Honda Ridgeline showing healthy gains. Only the midsize segment sales leader Toyota Tacoma showed a decline and a small one at 2.7 percent. The Nissan Titan once again posted sales of more than 1,000 units for the month. More variants, powertrains, and configurations that will be on dealer lots in the months ahead will likely help raise the Titan’s total going into the fall.

1) Ford F-Series - 65,657, Down 1.0 Percent
Ford is once again comfortably on top of the charts in July. However, it can no longer claim it out-sells Silverado and Sierra combined. Using that metric, GM would be 10,887 units ahead for the month. The Louisville truck line is humming, starting to crank out the all-new 2017 Super Duty, which will almost certainly give sales a shot in the arm when it arrives on dealer lots this fall.

2) Chevrolet Silverado - 54,116 Down 4.0 Percent
Silverado was down slightly for the month but remains a sales juggernaut for GM, as with the F-Series, an updated Silverado and Sierra HD line with a new higher-output Duramax diesel is due, which will likely increase interest closer to its debut. Unlike the Super Duty, which is an all-new clean-sheet design, the 2017 GM HDs receive a mid-cycle refresh.

3) Ram 1500/2500/3500 - 39,827, Up 2.0 Percent
Ram showed a modest gain of 2.0 percent for July. Considering how the rest of the fullsize field fared, that’s not a bad showing. FCA is preparing an all-new Ram 1500 expected in 2018, which promises to raise the bar even further on sophistication, technology, and fuel economy. Expect to see it at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.

4) GMC Sierra - 22,428, Up 13.2 Percent
Of the domestic fullsize models, the Sierra fared the best percentage-wise this month with a 13.2 percent gain. As noted, the combined sales of the Silverado and Sierra helped GM pull ahead of Ford for the month.

5) Toyota Tacoma – 16,580, Down 2.7 Percent
The Tacoma is once again down slightly for the month. However, it still reigns supreme in the midsize segment, with the second-best Chevrolet Colorado still more than 6,500 units behind. Even combined Colorado and Canyon sales can’t match the Tacoma’s total. New special-edition models like a new TRD Pro promise to keep the interest level high with truck enthusiasts.

6) Toyota Tundra – 10,474, Down 0.4 Percent
The Tundra declined ever so slightly for July. However, it’s far ahead of its other Japanese-brand rival, the Nissan Titan. Don’t expect that gaping lead to remain indefinitely. With the multiple cab, weight, and powertrain configurations coming for the Titan, Nissan could soon stand toe-to-toe with the Tundra in sales.

7) Chevrolet Colorado – 9,195, Up 27.5 Percent
The Colorado continues its hot streak into July, up 27.5 percent. It still has a ways to go to catch up to the Tacoma, but it has remained a bright spot for GM, and from what we’ve heard, it has been far less reliant on incentives than the fullsize models, making it an especially profitable proposition for the brand.

8) Nissan Frontier – 7,224, Up 72.7 Percent
By far the oldest model on this list, going on nearly 12 years, the Frontier has surprisingly found a second wind with buyers, with sales up a robust 72.7 percent in July. Although it’s definitely showing its age, the Frontier’s no-nonsense personality and compelling value proposition make it a staff favorite.

9) GMC Canyon – 3,532, Up 33.1 Percent
The Canyon showed a healthy 33.1 percent gain for July, and combined sales of the Colorado and Canyon topped 12,000 units. Again, there is still a little ways to go to catch the Tacoma but a solid performance nonetheless for the relative newcomers. GMC will push the limits of the midsize segment even further later this year with the introduction of the 2017 Canyon Denali, which promises to crest $50,000 fully equipped.

10) Honda Ridgeline – 3,518, Up 58,533 Percent
From falling off the radar almost entirely, the Honda Ridgeline is back and better than ever. Our recent drive of Honda’s unibody pickup convinced us of the merits of its design for the casual occasional-use suburban owner. Buyers are responding, with sales of the new model off to a brisk start.

11) Nissan Titan – 1,143, Up 1.5 Percent
The Titan is taking some time to build up its sales momentum after selling off the remaining 2015 models and adding the Cummins-powered XD model. The addition of a gas V-8, and a 1/2-ton model coming soon, as well as a regular-cab long-bed configuration promise to offer something for most fullsize truck buyers in the coming months.